


Motai Qaddem - Foothold

by Mini_Goat



Series: Fate [19]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alien Invasion, Bickering, F/M, Secret Relationship, Sexual Humor, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mini_Goat/pseuds/Mini_Goat
Summary: I thought you were supposed to tell him?! Jack and Sam have been married for months but someone forgot to tell Hank
Relationships: Carolyn Lam/Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran, Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Series: Fate [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1441348
Comments: 2
Kudos: 47





	Motai Qaddem - Foothold

**Author's Note:**

> Fate(ish) series (It has a continuity issue with ‘Celebrate’ I’m ignoring as this is (as per JM) mostly show accurate when Fate really isn’t so much any more) set around season 9ish between ‘Dinner’ and ‘Trapped’? Vala works out who Sam’s mysterious husband is. Jack and Sam bicker about who has to tell her boss that his boss is her husband. Confused?

Vala had never been one to stand on ceremony so Saturday morning she drove over to Sam’s adorable craftsman house. She loved its bright wide open floor plan and was there frequently enough for girl’s night; Sam’s husband worked in Washington right now so Sam was home alone with the baby more often than not. Sam had assured her more than once that they had known this would be the situation for a while when she got pregnant and had long since adjusted.

Vala didn’t strictly believe Sam and had told her so. Sam had chuckled and told her Janet would have said the same thing.

Figuring Sam was probably sleeping in and Vala just needed to borrow a dress for dinner tonight with Daniel as he’d lost a bet to her earlier in the week, she let herself in.

The house smelled like coffee so Vala decided to help herself figuring Cassie was over or the babysitter had dropped by early to pick up Gracie. She didn’t remember Sam saying she’d be in to work but that didn’t always mean anything. Often if her husband was away, Sam spent her time in her lab with or without the baby.

The perks of seniority that she could bring the baby down from the NORAD daycare if it was a quiet day on base. Due to the nature of the bunker under NORAD, the daycare ran 24/7. When Vala had asked didn’t either of them have family that could take the baby when Sam was off-world, Sam had hedged and admitted she had a niece and nephew but they were teens and she didn’t feel right saddling them with a baby to watch all day.

Vala rounded the corner and her eyes were greeted by a startled General O’Neill wearing a pair of Bart Simpson boxer shorts that said ‘eat my shorts’ repeatedly, a wedding band and exactly nothing else at all.

“Vala.” He nearly yelped. He’d come down because he thought he heard the door and figured Daniel forgot something at the house again and he didn’t want to wake Sam as Gracie had been fussy half the night.

“General. Fancy meeting you here at this time of day.” Vala told him with a slow smile as she gave him a once over.

Jack coughed uncomfortably at her perusal of his body. He wasn’t quite in the shape he used to be, having put on a bit of pregnancy weight with Sam that melted off her and stubbornly stayed on him.

Vala however seemed to appreciate the view which made Jack even more uncomfortable. “Well, aren’t you a fine piece of man meat General.” She said with a grin. “You look even better than my Daniel.” She said grinning even wider in predatory female appreciation.

Sam picked that statement to walk in on, sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Mornin’ Vala. Is the coffee done Jack?” she asked after sniffing the air appreciatively.

Jack walked over to the cabinet and made her a cup of coffee while Vala smiled in amusement at them both. Sam had on faded Air Force sweatpants and a tank top that clearly had seen better days. It was, she decided, adorably domestic. And now Vala knew exactly who Sam’s mysterious unnamed husband was.

“How do you take your coffee Vala?” Jack asked her. Soto voco to Sam, he said out of the corner of his mouth, “Did she just call me ‘man meat’?”

Sam snorted in amusement and patted his bare shoulder affectionately.

\-- XxX --

“Daniel darling!” Vala greeted her reluctant love interest. Before he could turn and escape she grabbed him from the side around his shoulders and bussed him on the cheek.”

“Gah! Vala! I’ve asked you a hundred times not to do that at work.”

“Well darling you never _leave_ work so you give me no choice.”

“Yah, there’s a reason for that.” He grumped and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

Ignoring his mood Vala threaded her arm around Daniel’s elbow and steered him back towards the elevator, heading to the commissary. “So tell me Daniel, how is it that I am the only one who didn’t know exactly who Sam’s husband is?”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“Well, this morning I dropped by to borrow a dress for our date and let myself in and was greeted by the delightful sight of a nearly completely undressed General O’Neill and I am fairly certain he wasn’t just dropping by to brew the coffee.”

“Oh, um, that.” Daniel tried to affect an innocent look on his face and failed miserably. He quirked his mouth to the side and huffed his shoulders. “Look, I know this really isn’t your thing but could you keep that information to yourself? They had to jump through a lot of hoops to get where they are.”

“Well that makes no sense. Why in the world would anyone care about them getting married or not? And why wasn’t I invited?”

Daniel looked sharply both ways down the hall then steered her to a supply closet.

“Why Daniel, I didn’t know you were into kinky things.” She said with a grin.

“Look, just shut up for a minute and listen. I’m going to level with you but you have to swear to tell no one. You’ll know who knows by who’s around when they are together in private, ok?”

“All right, lay it on me.” She said with as serious of an expression as she could manage.

“Ok, well, last year there was a bit of an incident at a diplomatic thing and the tea they gave us made everyone feel very, very honest about ourselves. It wasn’t a problem for Teal’c and I but Sam and Jack had been at odds about her recent break up with her ex fiancé and weren’t really speaking to each other.”

“They had make-up sex!” Vala announced triumphantly.

Daniel put a hand over her mouth. “Er, well, yes but they probably weren’t supposed to because technically she was in his chain of command at that point.”

“And they made a baby!” She said gleefully.

“Yah and I overheard the whole thing but that’s neither here nor there, they could have gotten in really big trouble so Jack convinced the president that Sam had a one night stand which was technically true at the time and he was being a stand up guy and wanted to make sure the baby had a clear chain of family should something happen to Sam in the field.”

“He’s rather more clever than he acts.”

“Sometimes.” Daniel admitted. “Anyway, IOA and NID are both convinced it’s a marriage of convenience which is mostly fine as any kid Jack and Sam made together was probably going to carry his Alteran genetics and be incredibly smart as well.”

“Not to mention if the Ori found out about her they might cause trouble as well.” She said thoughtfully.

“Right so as far as you know Sam’s husband is just some guy who works in Washington most of the time until they tell you otherwise, all right? Not even everyone on base knows they are married and no one but Teal’c, you and I know the baby is really Jack’s. Well -- and Dr. Lam but we didn’t have any choice on that one.”

“Who does know?”

“The people who attended either or both of their receptions. They had one at Jack’s cabin and another off-world for dignitaries who wouldn’t quite fit in, even in Minnesota.”

“All right, so _some_ of the base knows but not _all_ of the base knows so just don’t say anything unless someone makes it clear they already know what I know.” She explained back for clarity.

Daniel looked at her with his eyes narrowed for a moment. “Correct.”

“Got it.” She said with some triumph. “Want to make out?” she asked with a little grin.

“No. I don’t. And you have work to do.”

“Honestly Daniel, you really are no fun at all.” She complained.

\-- XxX --

Jack tugged her aside. “A word Colonel Carter.” He huffed. They were both in their dress blues.

“Yes sir.” She said quizzically but he didn’t speak to her again until they were outside the brass filled briefing room in the control room when he turned and hissed at her.

“You _forgot_ to tell your boss?” He rounded on her. Landry had acted completely confused why Jack might want Sam to sit next to him while they went over the recent trade negotiations.

Sam glanced around the room but it’s only other occupant was Walter who, frankly, knew what was going on already. “ _You_ forgot to tell him and you’re _his_ boss.” She hissed pointedly.

“Not in front of the kids Carter.” Jack huffed and shrugged at Walter who was pretending to be invisible.

“Oh like Walter cares. He was one of the ushers.” Sam huffed.

“Keep your voice down.” He said his voice raising slightly.

“That’s not what you said last night.” She harrumphed quietly.

“Carter!” He yelped in his ‘you’re killing me’ voice.

“Sir.” She replied firmly.

“Look, just explain to me why you didn’t tell him.”

“The same reason you didn’t.” She huffed at him.

“Preferential treatment, sirs?” Walter asked.

“Thank you Walter.” Sam told him agreeably.

“Carter, you’re the only person besides Lou and Daniel that has been with the program since the start. You were going to get it anyway.”

“But not because of _this_. It’s not appropriate.”

“He’s going to find out eventually the first time you have a foothold situation or go missing.”

“I thought you liked letting people find things out the hard way.” She challenged him.

“Jesus Carter, it’s funny when it’s harmless not when it’s going to give me a heart attack and Hank will have one too because he had no idea who you are married to.”

“Fine, I’ll tell him later. Not now. though.”

“Why not now?”

“Incoming wormhole activation.” Walter said as he thumbed the PA.

“That’s why. We’re busy.” She told him very reasonably and ignored his glare.

“You are in so much trouble if they lock down the base Carter.”

“Oh I hope so sir.” She told him with an amused smirk.

\-- XxX –

“Well I hope you’re satisfied.”

“Me?” She asks him incredulously.

“You wanted a lock down.” He pointed out.

“Jeeze. I was kidding.” She huffed. “Sir.”

“Oh knock it off. No one is around.”

They were locked in a holding cell together because Jack had nobly, or stupidly, depending on which of them you asked, jumped in front of her when a zat blast rang out while they tried to get one of the more portly generals to safety. Sam had refused to leave him in case their assailants who they had yet to identify intended to shoot him a second or third time. So she’d been disarmed and led to the cell to wait until he woke up.

“How’s your head?” She asked him gently.

“How do you think?” he snarled and immediately regretted it when she frowned at his unkind tone. “Sorry Carter, it fucking hurts as usual.”

“Next time just yell ‘duck’, ok?” She said to him, worry in her soft blue eyes.

“Yes dear.” He said in a conciliatory tone.

She swatted his shoulder.

“Ow.”

“So do you want me to pick the lock? They didn’t turn the lasers on.” She offered.

“Want to make out?” He asked with a grin.

“Jack.” She said, laughing.

“Hey, it was your idea. I’m just trying to be polite.”

“Only you would turn this into an opportunity to offer kinky prison fantasy sexual favors.”

“Oh I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.” He said as Daniel and Vala were dragged semi-conscious into the next cell and unceremoniously deposited on the floor.

Sam snorted with suppressed laughter. “Ok,” she said after their attackers left. “Looks like I’m picking the locks.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes and got to work.

Because the armory master had probably locked himself up with the weapons no one had bothered to pat either of them down. Sam had her non-magnetic electrician screwdrivers on her as she’d been fiddling in her lab to pass time prior to the briefing and shoved them in her breast pocket out of habit. “A sonic one would be more useful.” Jack pointed out while she fiddled with the lock.

“Not helpful Jack.” She said thoughtfully as she worked at the lock. The outside door opened again and Sam quickly pocketed her screwdriver. Jack scooted in front of her knowing Sam’s innocent face was about convincing as… Daniel’s… who was still out cold.

The guards dragged in Landry and Dr. Lam, both unconscious.

“Well, they seem to want us all alive.” Jack muttered.

“Probably can’t figure out who’s in charge with all the brass we had here today.” Sam mumbled.

They glanced over at Landry then looked at each other. “This would almost be funny if we didn’t have shape shifting aliens locking everyone up.” Jack pointed out.

Sam rolled her eyes. “The real problem is going to be figuring out who’s supposed to be here and who isn’t.”

“Huh. Good point. You and I are easy. So are they.” Jack said waving at Daniel, Vala, Hank and Carolyn. “We all have pretty distinctive personalities.”

“Gee, yah think?” She asked him dryly.

“Stop being sarcastic Carter. That’s my job.”

Sam smirked and rolled her eyes. “Yes dear.”

Jack cut his eyes to Landry but he was still out.

“Relax Jack. He’s going to find out sooner or later.” Sam said with a shrug and got back to picking the lock.

Vala groaned and sat up. “Bloody hell those things hurt. Daniel, wake up!” she ordered him and shook him hard until he grunted and flailed in panic.

“Don’t ever do that to Carter. She bites.” Jack told Vala dryly.

“Oh hey General Underpants. How are you darling?” Vala put an elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand to greet Jack.

Sam snorted a laugh while Jack’s cheeks colored.

“I was in my own house.” He almost but didn’t quite whine.

“Vala, didn’t I ask you not to bring that up in mixed company?”

“What mixed company Darling?”

Daniel nudged her and pointed over his shoulder to General Landry who was coming to and Dr. Lam.

“Ooohhh…. Yup. Mum’s the word.” She agreed and made a zipping motion over her lips.

Hank finally sat up with a groan. “What happened?”

“We have, oh what is it called again? A foothold.” Vala informed him cheerfully.

“Thank you Vala, I already knew that. What other information do we have people?”

“Carter and I were in the command center when the Tok’ra IDC came in. We assumed it was Garshaw or one of the other high council. It looked like them at least though not ones I recognized right off the bat. We went down to greet them and they zatted me right away.”

“They were trying to zat me.” Sam supplied with her eyes canted away in thought while she worked on the lock.

“You just had a baby Carter, the last thing you needed was to be zatted.”

“Oh just admit it was habit… sir.” But the last word was tacked on nearly as an afterthought and Daniel chewed on an amused smile at their rather domestic bickering.

The door opened again and one of the visiting dignitaries was put in yet another cell while Sam sat on her screwdriver.

“I wish they would stop doing that. I have to start over every time they do.” She complained after the fake Tok’ra left.

“So what do we do when we get out of here?” Landry asked.

Everyone who was awake turned and looked at him.

“He’s the ranking officer.” Hank reminded everyone pointing at Jack.

Everyone looked at Jack.

“Right. Carter, get the door open. We need to get a hold of some zats and shoot anything that moves then figure out how they are shape shifting. Let’s just hope they are using a device like the Stragoth and it’s not some genetic predisposition to body snatching.” Jack told them.

“Well, if it’s a device they will be easy to retrieve once we shoot them Jack.” Daniel said thoughtfully.

“Got it.” Sam said triumphantly and the door swung open.

“Good, just leave the general there. He’s probably safer locked up.” Jack said with a shrug.

Sam just shook her head.

“What? He is.” His voice got defensive and Jack shoved his hands in his pockets.

\-- XxX --

“So do we have anything that resembles a plan Jack, because so far… we’re mostly just sneaking around the base trying not to get caught again.” Daniel pointed out.

Jack had taken off his dress jacket and left it behind as it hampered his arm movement. “This would be a lot easier if Teal’c had been here. Carter, how well do you know Mitchell that an alien couldn’t trick you?”

“Well, I know he has a huge crush on Carolyn and gets tongue tied around her.” Sam supplied which made Daniel look at her oddly and Vala grin in amusement.

Carolyn blushed.

“Oh, was that a secret darling? Sorry.” Vala said in a cheerful whisper.

“Ladies, play nice.” Jack admonished them both.

Sam and Vala exchanged a look that suggested he was next on their list but both replied respectfully with a ‘yes sir’ which made Jack worry about his future experiences.

“Why do you ask sir?” Sam asked him.

“Because there’s a possibly Mitchell at the control board.” Jack said pointing up at the shock of brown hair ducked low in the observation window.

Jack, Daniel, Sam, Carolyn, Vala and Hank were hunkered down behind some equipment boxes in the back of the gate room.

“We still have to talk to him to know it’s him sir.” She said thoughtfully, slipping easily back and forth from their personal relationship to their work one after years of mixed conversations.

“Suggestions on how to verify it’s him people?”

“Monty Python.” Daniel said with a shrug.

“Cut down the mightiest tree in the forest.” Jack suggested.

“With a herring.” Vala, Carolyn, Hank and Sam said together.

Jack adopted a thoughtful look then shrugged. “Geeks.” But his voice was warm with humor. They were his geeks after all. “All right, fish jokes it is. Who wants to bag and tag the mystery colonel?”

“That should probably be me sir.” Sam told him as she was the only one with level four self defense training. She could test his movie quotes almost as well as Teal’c who had introduced Vala to Monty Python one of her first nights on base and Sam wouldn’t get distracted trying to negotiate if it wasn’t Cam unlike Daniel or distracted by amusing herself like Vala might.

“You be careful Carter.” Jack grumped at her. Wanting to tell her no but knowing that response was irrational worry on his part.

“Sir, I’m always careful.” She told him as she shrugged off and handed him her dress jacket. She slid out from the crates and stuck low to the wall as she swiftly moved around the Gate room until she’d reached the stairwell to the control room and silently moved up the stairs having taking off her dress shoes that would have given her away by the noise.

“Porter duty Jack?” Hank asked him of holding Sam’s dress jacket. His voice a quiet chuckle.

“Worth it Hank.” Jack told the other man with a smirk knowing he’d think it was about the free show they might soon witness if that wasn’t Mitchell.

Sam knew she had exactly one shot at taking out whoever it was at the controls, Cam or not. Either way he’d be armed and assume she was a combatant. She watched as he switched between the computer and occasional careful glances at the Gate Room which had been what gave away his position to Jack’s sharp eyes.

When his eyes returned to the computer screen she came in low and tackled the chair rather than him knowing she could force it back against the wall as she upended it. Cam let out a startled yelp as he tipped and found himself pinned under the military issue swivel chair and a grim possibly Sam Carter. “Gah! Sam it’s me! It’s me!” he yelped hoping she really was Sam assuming he was one of the aliens. She tackled like Sam. He’s played football enough with her to know.

“Prove it.” She told him as she had him locked now with one arm twisted behind his back and a knee pressed into his shoulders just below his neck, the threat clear that a two inch slide up and he’d have a crushed windpipe. She was heavier than she looked being nearly solid muscle even after her recent pregnancy.

“You had a fruit cup for breakfast with General O’Neill. He had oatmeal and kept looking at you weird like it was an inside joke.”

“What do you cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with?”

“A herring. Everyone knows that.” He huffed.

Sam let him up and lifted a hand carefully over the ledge of the computer console and gave Jack the all clear signal.

“How do I know you’re… well… you.” Cam asked her with a glare.

“I was the one that presented you with your congressional medal of honor.”

“You’re lucky I vaguely remember that.” He told her. He’d been so out of it on pain medication his memory of her doing so was hazy. “So what do we do now?”

“Hang back, we have guests. Is Landry’s office clear?”

“Yah.” He huffed, “and Walter’s.”

Sam nodded. Good, that meant no one could come at them from upstairs. “Good, the party is coming to us. Wasn’t there anyone guarding the gate?”

“No. I think they are short handed whatever it is they are here for.”

“And they have to come back this way eventually.” She agreed. The mountain was on lockdown which meant the SF’s would shoot to kill anyone that tried to leave regardless of who it was. Sam really hoped their visiting generals understood the ramifications. She really didn’t want to deal with the death of someone who got ahead flying a desk getting cocky to the point of dead today. Something just didn’t add up. The aliens weren’t killing anyone and they weren’t guarding their backs. If anything Sam got the impression they were acting more like an SGC recon unit but if so, what was the target?

\-- XxX –

“All right campers, looks like it’s our Shaft.” Jack told them soto voco. “Let’s move.” He winced as he put his weight back on his bad knee to get up. Daniel absently gave him a hand up and Jack sighed in resignation that he even needed it.

“You are due for surgery again sir.” Carolyn reminded him.

“Thanks for the reminder Doc.” Jack said with a long suffering sigh. It would be his fourth. He was singularly glad it had held out through their years as SG-1 but most of that had been due to Janet’s dedication to keeping him in the field for as long as he wanted to be. He wouldn’t lie to himself - he’d lost his heart for it with her passing. He’d never really thought about it before but that had been the beginning of the end.

“You know I’m just going to talk to your internist back in DC sir.” She told him.

“I could have Sam nag him for you.” Vala suggested.

“That’s an excellent idea.” Carolyn agreed.

Jack gave Hank a look and received a defeated shrug in return. He considered making a crack about being henpecked but then he’d have to explain to his wife’s boss that he is the mysterious husband. Not really the time for revelations though Vala clearly was itching to tattle.

“All right come on people, this isn’t a vacation.” Jack grumbled and herded his glare of SGC personnel towards the control room stairs.

“You’re awfully pushy General.” Vala complained.

“Don’t aggravate him.” Daniel hissed in her ear loudly enough for the others to hear him anyway.

Jack enjoyed a feral grin as they reached the stairs. He tossed Sam’s jacket on a chair once he reached the room having waved everyone on ahead of him. “Mitchell.” He greeted the younger man.

“Sir.” Cam replied.

“Carter, what’s our status?”

“I had some thoughts on that sir.”

“Oh? Do share for the rest of the class Carter?” He said with raised eyebrows and an interested frown.

“The Aliens have been very careful to take everyone alive. Cam didn’t come across any bodies or any evidence of violence on his way here.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean they weren’t vaporized Sam.” Daniel told her.

“No but I’m inclined to agree as all of us were taken alive as well as one of the visiting generals.”

“We still don’t know what they want Carter.” Jack groused.

“No sir but I believe if we wait they will eventually find it and return to the Gate Room.”

“So we just wait.”

“Essentially sir. Yes.

Jack mulled her opinion for a moment and sighed. “All right. Daniel, you take the next watch, the rest of us will sit on the floor so they don’t notice us.” Jack told everyone.

“Let’s play a game.” Vala suggested.

Sam and Jack said ‘no’ sharply in unison.

“Don’t you want to know which game first?” she said with a grin.

‘Let’s play the ‘everyone is quiet’ game.” Cam told her pointedly.

Vala huffed out a breath. “Fine.”

\-- XxX –

Two and a half hours later they still sat waiting. No alarm had been raised about their disappearance from the holding cells in the brig and the lights hadn’t gone to red indicating the exit doors had been forced open.

“I know. Let’s play ‘Truth or Dare’.” Vala suggested.

Cam glared at her and Sam sighed. “Vala, take your turn as look out.” Cam told her. Hopefully being busy would keep her mind occupied. The last thing Cam wanted to do was play truth or dare with his boss, his boss’s boss, and three teammates as well as the CMO he was trying to tell himself he didn’t have a crush on. Hard pass. Especially as his coworker and her former CO seemed to be able to have entire conversations with each other without speaking a word. Very weird.

Vala suddenly ducked down. “They’re here.” She told everyone and poked her head back up just enough to keep an eye on the fake Tok’ra. They had not taken anything but one of the members of SG-14 was with them. “Why is Sarah with them?”

“Sarah?” Cam asked, not recalling who that was.

“Dr. O’Neil.” Vala reminded him.

“She isn’t married to Colonel O’Neil by chance is she?” Daniel asked.

“One and the same.” Jack grumped. Jon O’Neil was pretty much the reason he’d started going by Jack in the first place to avoid confusion.

“That’s just weird Jack.” Daniel told him.

“Oh that’s the part you notice is weird?” Jack asked him incredulously.

“Are they always like this?” Hank asked Sam.

“Imagine this being your day, every day, for eight years sir.” Sam said tiredly.

“You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.” Hank looked at Jack and Daniel and admonished them both.

“I, ah, don’t think they want to sir.” Cam said.

“Sirs, I believe we are getting a little off track. Vala, what are the intruders doing with Sarah?” Sam asked.

“Well I can’t really hear but it looks like they are just standing around talking.”

Sam carefully reached up and toggled the intercom.

_“What of the other?”_

_“We shall return her once you are no longer here.”_

_“They will not allow her to return to here without her identification device which came back with me.”_

_“Then what do we do?”_

Sam looked at Jack and mouthed ‘Tonane?’ She and Jack had both caught the odd tone to their voices suggesting that species.

Jack shrugged, half frowned and tilted his head slightly.

She asked him with her eyes if he wanted her to handle this. Jack gave her a long suffering look then shrugged.

Sam toggled the intercom off. “I’m going down there. They are going to come up here next anyway and if it’s some offshoot of the Tonane they don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Hank nodded at her to proceed and Sam quietly moved to the doorway. Jack toggled the intercom back on.

Sam walked silently down the stairs with her hands up in supplication. “I know you are not Tok’ra and you are not Sarah O’Neil.” Sam told them. “Sarah’s last mission was a month ago. How have you managed to fool her spouse for that long?” Sam asked.

Three zats were trained on her. “You will go no further.”

“I wasn’t planning to. I’m not armed. I just want to help you get our companion home.”

“This one’s spouse is not ‘stationed’ here. I sent him a message that I was… busy at work. He has not questioned it.”

Sam sighed inwardly. She knew all too well exactly how easily someone married to anyone working here might fall for such a ruse. “All right. But she’s safe?”

“Yes. We only wished to learn about the people who came to our planet. We have no wish to harm you. When it became apparent she would be unable to return to us as planned, our leaders organized a… rescue mission.”

Sam nodded. The SGC would have acted similarly. “May someone from our planet go with you to bring our person home” She used the same soothing voice she did when Gracie was fussy and had no idea her husband was grinning in the room above her and biting back a laugh.

“We wish to send someone ahead to make the arrangements.” One of them told Sam.

“I think we can arrange that provided the rest of you remain here in the briefing room. Unarmed.” She said the last word firmly.

The group of not Tok’ra looked at each other for a long moment. “It is agreed,” the nominal leader of the group said.

“All right. Generals, I believe we have an agreement.” She said loudly enough to signal her companions should make themselves known.

Several heads slowly rose in the command room and the as yet unknown aliens looked at her mystified. “How did all of you escape the cells we put you in?” their leader asked.

“How do you disguise yourselves as Tok’ra?” Sam countered.”

Slowly the facades faded leaving a race of beings who might not be Tonane but who had similar features though only their bodies changed not their clothing.

Sam nodded slowly. “We know people like yours and are on good terms with them. They are called the Tonane.”

“We know of this people. Once we were one but our people left their star to explore and did not return.”

Hank and Jack had joined Sam after instructing the rest of them to go to the briefing room.

“Why don’t you join us? Carter, see if you can raise someone from SG-3 to go with our guest back to talk to their people.”

“Yes sir.” Sam told him and headed for the control room.

\-- XxX –

Hours later Dr. Sarah O’Neil was back home having been thoroughly checked out by Carolyn who announced her fit and symbiote free. Vala and Daniel were going through their notes from the briefing between the almost Tonane and the subsequent debriefing of Dr. O’Neil who fortunately looked nothing like Jack’s ex-wife, keeping the weird level down to a dull roar. Cam and Hank were still blissfully unaware that Jack and Sam were married to each other and the visiting generals had all been sent back to their hotel rooms for the night, -- courtesy of the US Air Force.

Sam offered Jack a ride home much to Jack’s amusement in Hank’s office. Jack having ‘missed’ the bus back to the hotel with the other generals.

“Isn’t that a bit out of your way tonight Sam?” Hank asked her concerned.

“Oh I don’t mind. General O’Neill and I are old friends, it will give us a chance to catch up.” She’d told him cheerfully.

Cam had watched them leave together confused. He was fairly certain that Jack hadn’t booked a room with the other generals.

An hour later, Sam and Jack sat together on their couch, her legs across his lap.

“Well that was unusually usual.” Jack quipped about their day.

“You will need to tell Hank soon Jack.”

“Yah. Vala was dying today. She’s not going to keep that to herself for any length of time.”

Sam nodded. It fell on Jack in her opinion as he was Jack’s friend prior to either being assigned to the SGC.

“When are you going to tell Cam?”

“I think I’ll take a page from your book and let him find out on accident one day.” Sam told him grinning.

“That’s my girl!” Jack declared proudly with a laugh.

The baby monitor went off and both sighed. “I should put one of these in Hank’s office.” Sam said with a rueful chuckle.

“I wouldn’t. He sings country songs when he’s reading reports.”

“Oh. On second thought.” Sam shook her head and reluctantly got up to find out if their daughter was fussing or just making normal baby noises.


End file.
